


A Case to Work

by sapphirephoenix



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 15:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10516452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirephoenix/pseuds/sapphirephoenix
Summary: Severus has gone Muggle... almost.  Hermione is sent to keep him in line.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was my submission for the 2012 SSHG Exchange at Livejournal and a gift for Pern_Dragon.

 

Severus Snape was shocked sometimes at how simple his life had become. Muggles and wizards were not different, but working with Muggles _was_. With his wand it took very little effort to solve their little ‘mysteries’, and they were _always_ appreciative. It was the easiest money he had ever made. He didn’t miss the Wizarding world any more. Granted, there had been... challenges in the first years after the war. The further he got from that place, full of his highest expectations and lowest disappointments, the better. As a Muggle, Severus was free, and that was all he wanted now.

~

Leaning against a tree, looking through a pair of high-powered magical binoculars, Hermione Granger cursed. ‘Spy on the spy,’ Kingsley had said. ‘It will be just what you need to... figure things out.’ Apparently ‘Figure things out’ was the new code for ‘get your life together already, Granger’. Healer training had been fascinating and stimulating and a complete farce. The fact of the matter was that she, Hermione Granger, was sick to death of caring for everyone else. That was how she had gotten here: watching Severus Snape Stun a Muggle before pushing something in his pocket and walking off.

 ~

Severus pushed into his flat with a small paper sack tucked beneath his arm. He’d had a good day’s work, but if Kingsley kept sending his little lapdog around to check up on him, he’d never get anything done. That witch had lost all her abilities to sneak about, and it was starting to cost him. He couldn’t leave a tenner in the pocket of every witness he had to Stun just because SHE had been noticed. If he weren’t so dead set about never going back to Wizarding Britain, he’d send Kingsley a Howler. Time to investigate other options.

 ~

Kingsley had gone too far this time. Hermione trod down Snape’s street with a barely-concealed snarl on her face. She had given her report, ready to relinquish Snape to the (theoretically) capable hands of the Aurors. But _no_ , Kingsley wanted HER to confront him... and rent the spare bed in his flat! Hermione had no idea what arrangements had been made with Snape, but she wasn’t interested in fulfilling some twisted protocol. Too bad for her, she didn’t have a single viable excuse out of it. She gripped the knocker, planning a severe revenge on Minister Shacklebolt as she rapped. 

~

After a morning of potential flat-mates, Severus wanted to put a power-drill through his temple. Inane, simple, poorly-groomed. What had become of Londoners? Still, the lure of a bit off the rent was enough to get him to the door one final time. It was odd but not surprising to find the bane of his last years at Hogwarts on the steps. “I’ve come for the room,” she announced. “It’s been rented.” He moved to close the door in her face. Her foot by the hinge stopped it. “No it hasn’t. Kingsley said you have to.” “Did he?” Severus smiled.

 ~

“You have committed a number of misdemeanours and felonies against the Statue of Secrecy, Snape.” He snorted. “Glass houses, Granger.” Snape’s reply was sing-song but no less sharp, sticking Hermione in uncomfortable places. “Kingsley thinks you need a baby-sitter, and I got the short straw.” Then Hermione pushed through the doorway, shouldering past Snape. She poked into rooms until she found the empty bed. Tossing her beaded bag on it, it clanged and thumped. She turned to find Snape with his hands braced on the door jamb, leaning into the room like a buzzard. Unfazed, she asked, “What’s for tea?” 

~

Severus had not lived with a woman since he left his mother in his father’s horrible little hovel on Spinner’s end. However, as he went online to check his bank accounts to see how long he could survive without a roommate, he found that Granger’s rent—for six months—had already been deposited into his account. The description for the transaction read: Take care! -KS The swirl of the pixels in his computer monitor indicated that it was a magical message. Severus thought that Kingsley was enjoying himself too much over all of this. This put Severus onto Plan B.

~

Hermione found daily delights in needling Snape. Two weeks in, and he hadn’t found any reason to complain. She kept her things out of the bathroom, a lesson learnt from the disappearance of her toothbrush the first night. She tidied up in the kitchen so as not to disturb the _numerous_ , probably illegal, potions brewing. She’d read quietly until she could feel Snape’s eyes boring into her, at which point she’d politely invite him into conversation, only to have him storm away to sulk about her ruining his fun. Her friendship with Harry and Ron had prepared her well, indeed. 

~

One month into living with Granger, Severus dusted off Plan C. The witch was still curious, too much so, and Severus knew he could use that to his benefit. He had watched her as she listened to the prospective cases that came in and had caught her a handful of times as she opened her mouth to ask the first of her assuredly infinite questions. However, if there were no cases, she would get bored and look for something to entertain herself. There were plenty of shiny things outside his door. If he could get her out of the flat... 

~

Snape’s work had dropped off. Or rather, it had been Avada Kedavraed. From twenty callers a day to zero—something was afoot. Further, Snape never left the house. For nigh on a month now, he stayed in the sitting room, reading _the same book_ day in and day out. Hermione wasn’t fool enough to believe that Snape had given up his work. He was waiting her out. Little did he know, she had nothing else to do. Hermione cringed. She needed out of here. An afternoon in the shops would sort her out, especially with the Ministry covering her ‘expenses’. 

~

The door clicked shut, and Severus peered at it for a long minute. Having never had a roommate in his entire adult life, Severus had had no idea how much he took his privacy for granted. There were simply _some_ things that couldn’t be done with someone else in the house. Like sit in the sun and eat a sandwich. “Oh my god, you’re _naked!”_ Severus startled and looked up, twisting his neck. Rushing for cover under his sandwich plate, flinching at the pain in his neck and shoulder, he bellowed, “You’re supposed to be out!” “I forgot my keys.” 

~

Hermione crept back in hours later. She had shopped, yes, but all the while she couldn’t stop thinking. Snape was a closet nudist. Snape sat around the house _nude_. He had probably been bare-arsed in every chair in the place. What surprised Hermione most was that it had never occurred to her that clothing was optional. Not that she would walk around Snape’s place nude, of course. She was a bit too... soft for that. No one wanted to see her naked. Still, it warranted consideration. Nude-Snape, however, she would NOT consider. No matter how... surprisingly pleasant. Absolutely. Would. _Not._

 ~

Severus was a master of stealth and subterfuge. This was how he had managed to go nine days, six hours, and forty-six minutes without encountering Granger. He had accepted her many peace-offerings of his favourite biscuits. The matter was closed. Besides, he had work to do, almost a month of unworked cases. Severus could work very hard when he had to. Since Granger’s little _outing_ , he had found plenty of work to do. He certainly wasn’t hiding in his room. It was his bloody house, and he could stay wherever he pleased. His _was_ a very nice room, after all. 

~

She had had enough. Armed with a plate from the kitchen and her Gryffindor courage, Hermione pounded on the door to Snape’s room. He had been in there for two weeks now, and the house was damned dull without him reading in the sitting room, at least. Nothing. Her fist hit the door again. “I suspect nobody is inside.” Snape’s voice, _from behind her_ , shocked Hermione, who was _completely nude_ , except for one strategically positioned salad plate. She swallowed, throat dry, and turned to face him. Chin high, she met his eye. “We’re even, then.” With a nod, she fled.

~

Severus scowled at the salad plates. _Which one?_ “What’s this?” Over his shoulder, he saw her leaning over the folder he had on his desk. She had _that_ look. Severus was willing to entertain her ideas on the matter. He had been over it to the point of distraction. Besides, he could use a laugh. Giving up on his silent interrogation of the dishware, Severus went to his desk. Granger began prattling, and he listened with half an ear. The challenge became _not_ picturing her naked. Luckily, she pulled a book from the shelf. It was just what he needed.

 ~

Hermione wasn’t surprised that it had taken three months and some _very_ extreme circumstances to get _comfortable_ with Snape. The man was an enigma wrapped in a fortress surrounded by a moat. However, they had found a groove. As she set her bag down after their fourth case, Hermione was satisfied with the world. She loved solving problems, figuring out mysteries, and using her knowledge. Severus was hilarious when his humour was directed away from her. Life was good. So good, actually, that she neglected to put a report into her log for Kingsley. He could go fly a kite.

~

At the onset of his fifth month of living with Granger, Severus was feeling quite pleased with himself. He sat back in his favourite chair and sipped his tea. He could rely on her to work the most tedious aspects of a case, freeing him up to attend to those things that had piqued his curiosity, such as her cleavage. She had plenty of idiosyncrasies, and she got lost in thought that she had no idea how often she left herself open to his leering. Severus wasn’t about to enlighten her either, not with that bit of her brassiere showing.

~

Attempting to peel the envelope from Kingsley off the front of her bedroom door, Hermione was distinctly displeased by the reminder of what she was _supposed_ to be doing. She hadn’t forgotten that she was here to build a case _against_ Snape or shepherd him into following the Statute of Secrecy. She had just lost herself in the thrill of the chase, the seduction of a mystery. Swearing, Hermione whipped out her wand and cancelled every last spell on the bloody envelope, unsatisfied when it fell to the floor with a typical flutter. Kingsley’s meticulousness was on her last nerve. 

~

Severus decided that Kingsley was handing Granger over to him as an early Christmas gift. An image of her wrapped in a green bow and nothing else blinked into his imagination, but Severus pushed it aside. _For now._ Hermione Granger, despite her best efforts and everyone else’s assumptions, did not like to be part of a system. She wasn’t going to respond well to having her hand slapped over some silly reports. Sliding the next docket under her door, and it was a juicy one at that, Severus began to seriously consider what to do with his new pet Granger. 

~

Snape was up to something. Hermione wasn’t sure what, but she was sure he was. She had watched him ‘handle’ enough Muggles to know when he was taking the long way ‘round to his point. If he was hiding a case from her, she’d hex his bollocks off. It was an unfortunate threat for her, even in her own mind. Or, perhaps, especially in her own mind. It reminded her of the day she had gone shopping and come back and then she was blushing. She cleared her throat and focused on her book. _They had a case to work._  

~

Severus brought in the post and watched as a third manila envelope plastered itself to Hermione’s door. It looked as if Kingsley was doing his best to keep from sending _actual_ Howlers, but only just. If these envelopes put a hole in the door, he’d be sending an invoice to the Ministry. Unless said hole was at a good height for viewing the room’s occupant, then he might send a bottle of firewhisky. Severus was almost ready to make his move. Today was Granger’s birthday, and he had a surprise for her after they finished this little bit of work.

~

With her head in her hands, Hermione wondered how she had gotten _here_ , locked up in an interrogation room at the Ministry while some pompous Junior Auror strutted around like the cock of the walk for ‘capturing Severus Snape and his accomplice’. The day had started simply enough, hadn’t it? They had been out on a case; Severus had been ‘interviewing’ someone. Then, a ‘pop’ of Apparition, and her birthday had turned to shite. She couldn’t believe it. Hermione pounded on the door of her cell again, demanding to see Kingsley and hoping she didn’t sound like a complete loon.

~

Staring at his boots, Severus smiled. From the pounding in the next room, Granger was furious. And _his_. He’d have to shake that Auror’s hand. It seemed that the new regime didn’t have control of their little soldiers, luckily for Severus. Kingsley was going to have some serious clean-up to do. Once the word got out that the _Hermione Granger_ was arrested while on assignment for the MoM, the press would be in an uproar, and Kingsley would be lucky to get out of this without incident. _Finally_ , the door to Severus’s cell swung open, and the Minister walked in.

~

Hermione stopped pounding on the door when the wall behind her disappeared, and she was alone with Severus and Kingsley. “Happy birthday, Agent Granger.” Snape snorted. “Agent Granger, my arse, Kingsley. What’s the meaning of this?” Kingsley was moving to undo Severus’s chains, and the rattle as they hit the floor startled Hermione out of her train of thought. “Just a young Auror seeing something suspicious and investigating.” “I had the situation under control! I can’t believe you didn’t remove Severus from the list!” “How could I? I hadn’t had a substantiating report from my agent _in weeks_.” “Oh.” “ _Yes_.”

~

Severus pushed Hermione’s shoulders so she would _sit down_ once they were home. She had been self-flagellating since Kingsley had revealed his scheme to get Severus off the list of ‘Wanted Offenders’ while getting her out of her post-war tailspin. Then, Severus pushed a cup of hot tea that was mostly whiskey into her hands. “It’s your birthday. Let’s get you pissed.” She scoffed, staring out the window, but drank deeply from her cup. Severus picked up his cup and then saw her teacup dangling from her little finger. Righting it, he filled it again, curling his lip in challenge.

~

Hermione watched Severus fill her cup. Kingsley thought that Severus was the key to getting her life together. He had been right. Since this had started, Hermione had felt at ease. At first, it had been because she was executing someone else’s plan and wasn’t wholly responsible for something for a change. And after Severus had... ‘surprised’ her, they had come to an understanding. She hadn’t missed his lecherous looks, either. Hermione had been unsure what to do about those until now. She took the teacup from him, lifting her eyebrows as she drank, accepting his challenge with a smile.


End file.
